Empowering The Swan
by JennLikesToWrite
Summary: What would happen if Bella had a terrifying experience with a vampire in Phoenix that prompted her move to Forks to start over? What would her reaction would be to the Cullens? Twilight with a few twists. Bella is human and The Cullens are vamps. AU, B/E, HEA. Rated M for violence and maturity.
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: I do not own Twilight or any of the characters. I just wanted to play around with the plot a bit and answer one of those "What If" questions I asked myself after reading some awesome fanfic stories out there.

Story Info: I wondered what would happen if Bella had a terrifying experience with a vampire in Phoenix that prompted her move to Forks to start over. What would her reaction would be to the Cullens? Twilight with a twist. Human and Vamp, rated M.

This is my first attempt at writing fanfiction. I am excited and nervous. I'd love some feedback, so please review. I only ask that folks be constructive in their criticism. If it's not your cup of tea, it's more than ok to say that.

I have no beta or pre-reader. If anyone is interested, please send me a PM. I could use all the help I can get, lol.

Warning – There will sexual violence in the first couple of chapters. I don't plan on be overly graphic, but enough for readers to understand what's going on.

Chapter One: Delusional

James POV

I can smell freesia and honey in the air, as blood pumps through her veins. I am hungry for her. I am practically salivating for a taste of her heaven to sooth the thirst throughout my body. As tempting as her blood will be, her body will be equally delicious. Her sexy curves and sweet smile call to me. I can't wait to take what's mine.

I have spent the last five years yearning for Izzy Swan . She shot down along with every guy in school, but I was determined to win her. At a party during the beginning of this school year, I saw her sitting all alone outside just looking up at the night sky. The slight breeze blew her long brown hair around her shoulders, and her brown eyes were lit up with excitement in seeing a shooting star.

I took this as a sign and made my move. I sat down next to her, and after talking for a few minutes, I kissed her pretty, pink lips. It was divine. Only she backed away and asked me why I kissed her. I told her that I loved her and wanted to be with her always. She told me that she didn't see me the same way.

I went home and drowned my sorrows in beer from the fridge. My dad never cared; he'd actually have to notice me. My mother left him when I was in seven, and he took his rage out on me. I was his personal punching bag, or at least until I could fight back. I had no one in my life, I was nothing.

For three weeks, I watched Izzy at school with her best friend. She and Gabriella were always together. They would smile, laugh, and joke amongst themselves. I had a class with Gabriella and she told me that I was delusional if I thought Izzy would ever be with a guy like me – a loser. She said I'd never be good enough for her friend.

I hit rock bottom that night and decided to find a bar to get wasted. I drove to the seedier part of town because I had heard rumors that this bar never carded anyone. After my fourth beer, I felt a little better, just enough to take the edge off the pain and rejection I was feeling.

"Hi handsome." came from my right. I looked over to see a very beautiful red head, with red eyes, a sexy body, and a mischievous smile. Wait, that can't be right. People don't have red eyes. Maybe I was more wasted than I thought? As I looked deeper into her eyes, I felt a pull towards her.

"Are you talking to me?" I answered her.

"Yes, of course I am. My name is Victoria. And you are…. ?"

"My name is James."

"Nice to meet you, James. Lady troubles bring you out tonight?"

"To have lady troubles, I'd have to have a lady." I grumbled.

"Let me guess? She can't see what a catch you are?" Victoria questioned.

"She doesn't want me." I sat and told her my whole story. I couldn't tamp down my feelings of anger and loneliness anymore.

"What if I could help change some of that?" she asked.

"How?"

"Easy. Follow me." She got up and started walking towards the door of the bar. I found myself following her out the door and outside. She moved towards the back of the bar where I had parked my car.

"So uh… Where are we going?"

"Just right here. I needed you out of that bar for this to work." She looked at me closely, almost like she was deciding something. All of a sudden she was latched onto my neck, and I felt a burning pain down to my toes. My vision was getting blurry, everything was turning hazy, and I wanted to scream. My body was on fire and I couldn't stand any longer. Black dots danced in my vision and everything faded.

I woke sometime later, feeling like much different. My vision was clearer, I felt no pain, and I could move much faster. It seemed I was as agile as a cat. I jumped up off the floor, and heard tinkling laughter behind me.

"Hey handsome. I am glad to see you are finally awake." Victoria said while smiling at me.

"What happened? Where am I? What am I?" I asked a few questions that had popped into my mind first.

"You are now a vampire, James."

And so my new life began…. Victoria taught me how to live again. She taught me what it was like to be a man. She fulfilled all my needs. For several weeks, she taught me about feeding, torturing prey, and helped me come up with a mastermind plan to get revenge on my sweet Izzy.

I could just see her now through the slats in the fence outside of her home. She was talking to Gabriella in her back yard. It was time to put my plan in motion. I jumped the fence, and waited for her reaction to the new me.

"Well, hello Izzy." I said as I smiled at her.


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer: I do not own Twilight or any of the characters. I just wanted to play around with the plot a bit and answer one of those "What If" questions I asked myself after reading some awesome stories out there. **

**This is my first attempt at writing fanfiction. I am excited and nervous. I'd love some feedback, so please review. I only ask that folks be constructive in their criticism. If it's not your cup of tea, it's more than ok to say that. I have no beta or pre-reader. If anyone is interested, please send me a PM. I could use all the help I can get, lol :) **

**Thank you to the readers that started to follow this story. I intend to post at least once a week.**

**Chapter Two: Izzy **

Bella (Izzy) POV

"Oh Gabs, you just made me snort soda out of my nose! Would you stop making those awful hand gestures?" I said as I smiled at my best friend, Gabriella Smith. She was imitating a scene from the movie we had finished watching a couple minutes ago.

Gabriella and I have been friends ever since I moved to Phoenix, AZ, with my mom eight years ago. I walked into homeroom on my first day of school, and her seat was next to mine in the back row. She had been the last new girl before me to transfer in, and had a tough time with the transition. She was determined that I would not feel the way she had. By the end of my first week in Phoenix, we had become inseparable.

"Izzy, you know you want to laugh!" She replied back to me smiling. She was right of course. We had just found out recently that Mr. Hunter had been found dead in his home. He hadn't been to work for a few days, so one of his coworkers decided to go check things out. We heard rumors that the inside of his home looked like a bloodbath had taken place, and looked like a scene from a Quentin Tarantino film. No one had seen James in weeks, and with his father's death, everyone was curious about his whereabouts. The kids at school wondered if James had met the same fate.

I actually thought James was a nice guy, and felt bad that he misread my feelings for him. I simply wasn't interesting in dating. I was focused on my studies and wanted to make sure that I got into a good college. I had my eye on a few colleges, and I could not afford any distractions.

"Izzy…. Iz…. Where did you go?" Gabriella asked.

"Sorry Gabs. I was just thinking about everything that happened this last week."

"Oh, sweetie." Gabs said as she moved next to me, and wrapped her arms around me. "I know you are feeling bad for the Hunter family, but you have to let it go. It's not healthy to dwell on it."

"I know, I know." I replied while gazing at the flames in the fire pit. We were sitting in my backyard star gazing, and relaxing with homemade smoothies. My mom and stepdad moved to a nice neighborhood on the outskirts of the city. The days are stifling hot and the nights can get rather chilly here in the desert. Our neighbors were a couple miles away, so it was just us, a fire pit, and the cacti.

Mom met Phil, my stepdad, a few years ago after literally running into him at the grocery store. They locked eyes and it was love at first site. Since then, mom has taken to following Phil around the country while he plays baseball for the Arizona Diamondbacks. They feel guilty leaving me alone so much, but Gabs usually stays with me to keep me company. It's the off season for baseball, so mom and Phil decided to go on a cruise with some other players and their spouses before the holidays. They were coming home tomorrow, and I couldn't wait to see them both.

"I know what will take your mind off of school and everything else." I saw her smirking at me from the corner of my eyes. I know that smirk, and I bet she'll try to take me shopping.

"Nope, no way! No shopping!" I told her while trying to look stern. She gave me puppy dog eyes, and our eyes locked into an intense stare down. I could feel my resolve crumbling… I am such a sucker.

"Fine, but you are not dragging me out there all day. What do we even need to shop for anyways?" I grumbled.

"Christmas will be here sooner than we know it." She said with a smile.

"That's your excuse? Gabs, I just suffered through black Friday shopping a week ago." I pouted.

"Oh, come on. It was fun. We had a great time!"

"Yeah, watching you wrestle with a ten year old for the last copy of a Mickey Mouse Wii game was pretty entertaining." I snarked at her.

"Hey now, that's no fair. Why do you have to bring that up again? And I touched the game first! Therefore, it should have been mine."

"And your excuse for tricking that cute little grandma to get the last Rachel Ray slotted spoon?"

"She had it coming Iz! She was being greedy. She already had like five spoons in her cart! Everyone knows that they limit the black Friday specials. That grandma was cheating and because of my diversionary tactics, she was able to grab the matching spatula too!" Gabs said while sticking her tongue out at me. Yeah, we could act like kids sometimes, but we had fun.

"Yeah, yeah, whatever helps you sleep at night." I winked at her.

"I am getting a little bit cold. I'm going to go grab my hoody from inside. I'll be right back."

Before Gabriella could go anywhere, a figure landed in front of us and said "Well, hello Izzy."

**A/N: The next chapter is written already, I am just in the process of editing it. Thanks for stopping by!**


	3. Chapter 3

**Disclaimer: I do not own Twilight or any of the characters. I just wanted to play around with the plot a bit and answer one of those "What If" questions I asked myself after reading some awesome stories out there. **

**This is my first attempt at writing fanfiction. I am excited and nervous. I'd love some feedback, so please review. I only ask that folks be constructive in their criticism. If it's not your cup of tea, it's more than ok to say that. I have no beta or pre-reader. If anyone is interested, please send me a PM. I could use all the help I can get, lol :) **

**Thank you to the readers that started to follow this story, for the reviews. I intend to post at least once a week.**

**A/N: I was a bit more descriptive with the sexual violence than I originally intended, so if you want to skip it, I have added a summary at the bottom with highlights. **

Chapter Three: The Fight

Izzy (Bella) POV

_Before Gabriella could go anywhere, a figure landed in front of us and said "Well, hello Izzy."_

I quickly stood next to Gabs, and took a good look at the figure. "James? Is that really you?"

"Izzy dear, I am surprised that you remember me." His voice sounded different, almost musical, like bells. His overall appearance had changed as well. He looked the same, yet different. His eyes were dark and intense. His clothes were tight, and showed off his muscular frame. He looked more attractive than I remembered. Something in his gaze made me uneasy though.

"Of course she knows asshole! She was worried that something happened to you, although I have no idea why." Gabriella spat towards James.

"I'm touched, Iz." James said smirking. "What about you, Gabs? Did you miss me?"

"What's to miss? Obviously, the concern everyone had for you was unnecessary. What the hell are you doing here anyways?

"Gabs! Come on, be nice." I said softly.

"Izzy, seriously, you are way too nice. Do you have sense of self perseverance? Why is he here all of a sudden?" Gabs asked me.

"You know, Izzy, you really should listen to Gabriella. She does have a point." James had been standing still. Now he was standing behind Gabriella his head low, and lips on her throat. Gabs eyes were bugging out of her head. How he moved that fast, I'll never know. We were both shocked and suddenly I was scared. Very, very scared.

"What are you doing, James?" I asked him.

"What does it look like I am doing, sweet Izzy?"

"Get the fuck off me asshole!" Gabriella yelled to James while trying to move out of his arms. No matter how much she struggled, she couldn't move, she couldn't get away. It was like his arms held her in a steel cage. Tears were running down her cheeks, and her eyes were darting around, seemingly looking for something.

"Awwww…. Is little Gabriella scared? You talk such a big game, but you are nothing but a bitch. Too bad you weren't nicer to me when I was human." Human? What is he talking about? He has definitely lost his mind.

"Say goodbye to Gabriella, Iz. She's going to die right here, right in front of you." James said with an evil smile as his lips landed on the skin of her neck.

"Izzy, run!" I could see the terror in her eyes before they started to roll back in her head, and then close. Blood was dripping down the side of her neck while James seemed to be sucking her neck. It looked like he was drinking her blood. Oh my god!

"Iz…. Run….Go….Run…." Gabriella slurred before dropping to the ground in front of me. I could not move. I could not speak. I could not look anywhere else.

After what seemed like hours, I barely registered James calling my name. I finally looked away from Gabs, and ran at him. I hit his chest over and over again, but he wouldn't budge. I heard him calling my name, but I didn't care. I kept hitting his chest, and when that didn't seem to work, I started kicking at his legs. He still wouldn't move. I slumped to the ground and started to crawl towards Gabriella.

"Not so fast sweet." James said while laughing. He was laughing! He just killed my best friend in front of me and he's laughing. I wanted to hurt him, I wanted to scream, anything to get him to just stop laughing.

"Why? I don't understand why. What did she ever do to you? What did I do to you, James?

"You rejected me and she ridiculed me afterwards. At least I made her death quick and somewhat painless. You, on the other hand…. I want you to suffer." I was shocked to the core. When did James turn into a cold hearted killer? I always remembered him being quiet and nice.

"I just don't understand, James." I hoped by using his name, that it would bring out some compassion.

"I watched you every day for five years sticking your nose up at everyone else. I tried to offer you my love, and you threw it in my face. And that bitch," he said pointing at Gabriella's body, "She had it coming by constantly telling me that I wasn't good enough for you. But now you are the one that is not good enough for me."

We just stared at each other for a moment. It looked like he drank her blood, but that's impossible. I felt like he must have read my mind because he told me that Gabriella's blood was delicious. I started feeling nauseous, and could not stop dry heaving.

He was on the ground in front of my face. "Oh, is the ice queen going to be sick? Boohoo." I closed my eyes and tried to pretend this was all a bad dream. Then I felt a stinging sensation on my arm. It felt like my skin was burning. I finally looked down and saw that James was biting my arm. I tried to slap him, but he grabbed my arm midair. I attempted to pull back from him, crying out in pain as his fingers dug into the tender flesh on the inside of my arm.

James moved up my arm, biting along the way to my shoulder, and then down my other arm. I tried to scream, but everything was happening so fast, and then he smacked me. His other hand pulled at my shirt and ripped it from my body. I was trapped looking into his eyes. I could see nothing but hatred staring back at me.

"You taste sweeter than I could ever imagine. You smell like freesia and honey, and the taste of your blood is like nectar from the gods, I can't get enough. I knew you'd be the best by far, Iz" He was running his nose up and down my jaw, and skimmed my collarbone before he bit down on the top of my breast. He took his hand away and I finally screamed into the cold night air.

"I had this grand plan for you, Izzy. My mate, Victoria, and I practiced torturing other women by biting them. You see, Iz, when I bite you, my venom enters your body and that usually changes a person into a vampire. But I don't want to turn you; I just want to see your pain. If I simply nibble up and down your delectable body, the venom will incapacitate you so that you cannot move where I have bitten."

As I opened my mouth to scream again, his hand moved to my throat and he started choking me. "Are you going to be quiet now, Iz?" I nodded and he started moving down my body towards my legs. I tried to move, but he was right. My arms were not budging, and he was on top of my legs. I felt like a deer frozen in headlights. He reached down and ripped my pants away from my body and I couldn't stop the sobs that racked my body.

I felt him biting near my knees and he started moving up towards my thighs. I could feel the burn of his venom in my arms and now my legs. "I can smell your sweet heat. And look at those pretty panties. I think they need to come off, Iz." I flinched as he pulled my underwear away from my body. He cupped my mound.

"Mmmm…. Even better than I thought, my sweet. It's going to feel so good fucking you. I can't wait to have you scream my name. Quite literally, my dear." I felt so sick. I couldn't move, knowing that James was planning on raping me. My breathing was becoming erratic, and I could feel parts of my body shaking in panic.

"Argh!" I screamed as James roughly pushed his fingers in my vagina. "Shut up!" he screamed while slamming my head down in the ground. "You are going to like this ice queen. At least I know you are a virgin. I can smell the blood from your pussy. Mmm… I have waited so long for this moment, and I will enjoy it. And who knows, if you survive our fucking, I'll take this sweet little ass too." He said as his fingers left my vagina, and moved back towards my rear.

I couldn't let this happen. I couldn't let James violate me. I tried my arms again, nothing. I tried my legs next, and still nothing. I was trying to thrash around, and could hear James laughing again. "You can't stop me, Iz. Although seeing you struggle really turns me on."

James opened up his pants, and took his penis out. He was palming it, and rubbing up and down. He got closer to me again, and rubbed it on my mound. I wish I could black out, anything to get away from this horrifying situation. As he pulled back to penetrate me, I could tell it was going to be bad. I closed my eyes and braced myself for the impact. I could feel a cloud in my head moving around. All of a sudden James was off me, and ten feet away in front of the fire pit.

"What the fuck was that?" James asked looking confused. "What did you do you bitch?" I still couldn't move much, so I was trying to wiggle away as James stalked closer yet again. "Answer me, what did you do?" he asked as he hovered over me and grabbed my hair. He pulled me towards him, and then smacked me again.

"I don't know what you are talking about." I yelled at him.

"Somehow you got me to move off you. Don't worry though, I'm right here sweet, and it won't happen again." He said in my ear. He dragged me over to the chair in front of the fire pit where this all began, and pushed me down. "Let's get back to business, shall we?" he smirked.

Before he could do anything else, I felt the cloud again in my head. All of a sudden James was in the fire pit, and then completely disappeared into thin air.

Were my eyes playing tricks on me? Did James just disappear into the fire? I looked around me to be sure he was gone. To my left, I saw Gabriella's body. I couldn't think anymore, and slipped into the welcoming darkness.

A/N - Short summary: James killed Gabriella in front of Bella, by drinking her blood. He then attacked Bella and placed small bites on her arms and thighs. He admits to being a vampire, and tells her that his venom will incapacitate her while he is sexually assaulting her. He hurts her sexually, but technically does not rape her. Bella feels a "cloud" in her head and James seems to disappear into thin air before she blacks out.

Next up: Waking up and becoming Bella.

Story Rec: I wanted to rec a funny story to help offset the seriousness of this chapter. It's a WIP, but this Bella is hilarious :) s/9102043/1/Curve-Ball


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter Four: Waking Up

Beep….Beep…. Beep…..

Ugh, I wish that noise would stop. The steady beeping waking me up from my fog induced state. I reached out to turn the alarm off, but my arm felt funny. I tried to open my eyes, but the light was too bright. I tried to sit up, but my head felt too heavy. Every movement took what felt like an enormous effort.

"Isabella? Isabella, baby?" I could hear my Mom's voice somewhere close to me. I tried to open my eyes again to look for her. "Baby, let me turn off the light, hold on." I could sense that the light was off, and tried opening my eyes again. I felt my mother grab my hand and I turned towards her. Her eyes were red rimmed and watery.

"What's wrong, mom?" I asked. My voice was gravely, and my throat parched. I needed a sip of water.

"Oh, my baby, you're awake."

"Where am I?" I asked looking around the room seeing white walls, an IV drip, and some flowers on the window ledge. I recognized the hospital, but needed to hear it from her.

"You are in the hospital honey."

"What happened to me?"

"I came home from the cruise, and found you in the backyard." I saw fresh tears were streaming down her face before she turned away from me. She took a moment to compose herself, and turned back to me. "Do you remember anything that happened, Iz?"

Like a dam that burst, memories started flooding my brain. Gabriella's dead body, James' evil smirk, him biting me, touching me. I started to sob and shake uncontrollably. I looked down and saw white bandages up both my arms. I pulled the blanket back to look at my legs; I could see the end of some bandages that were on the inside of my knees and thighs. My head hurt, and my body was achy.

My mom sat on the edge of the bed and pulled me towards her. "I am so sorry baby. I wish I could take away this pain. Hell, I wish we would have stayed home, and never gone on that stupid vacation. Then maybe you wouldn't be suffering now." I cried in her arms, and she cried silently while holding me.

After many moments, a nurse walked in to check on me and to take my vital signs. "Everything looks good dear. You've been out for a couple days; would you like some ice or water?" I nodded and looked at my mom.

"How long have I been out, mom?"

"A few days like the nurse said. Iz, do you remember what happened?"

I nodded at my mom. "Gabriella is dead isn't she?"

"I'm sorry, baby. We found her with you in the backyard, but she was already gone." I grimaced hearing the words out loud. My sweet, dear, friend was dead because of me. She was gone because James went absolutely mad. James…. He bit Gabs, he drank her blood, he violated me, and he was going to kill me. He disappeared in front of my eyes. How do I explain that to anyone? No one would believe that he drank blood. I am not sure I would have believed if it hadn't happened right in front of me.

My mom cleared her throat and brought me back to the present. "When I found you, I called 911 and they brought you here. You had a concussion and were dehydrated. You have some wounds on your arms and legs. The doctor thought a desert animal attacked you while you were out." My mom looked down and closed her eyes. I could tell she was struggling with something, and as much as I didn't want to know, I had to ask her.

"What else, Mom?"

She looked up at me, and her tears were falling even harder. "The doctors saw evidence of sexual trauma, Iz. They ended up giving you an internal exam. They saw bruising and some tearing. I hate to bring this up, or to even think it. It appears that you were raped." She squeezed my hand after that, and tried to give me a reassuring smile.

I wasn't sure what to say because although James didn't rape me, he still violated me. He still did some damage. I sure as hell didn't want to give any details to my mom. I just nodded and tried to lie back down in the bed, effectively dismissing her. "Can I have a few minutes alone, Mom? I just need to think and get some rest."

"Sure honey, take all the time you need. I'll go grab something to eat, and come back in a bit. I love you." I watched her walk out the door, sniffling along the way. I didn't want to send her away, but I was feeling overwhelmed. Flashbacks of that night, and the things that happened were so vivid swimming around in my head. I brought the blanket up around my shoulders, and curled up with my legs into my chest. I couldn't stop the tears, and embraced the pain the best I could.

~~~ETS~~~

I woke up still curled in my little ball. I had cried myself to sleep, and now my eyes felt like they were glued shut. I reached out to rub the grit out of the way, and stretched a bit. I looked over and saw my mom sleeping in a reclining chair in the corner. I felt bad pushing her out of here earlier, but my emotions were getting the best of me. I didn't want her to see me too upset. She's hurting enough as it is.

I looked towards the window and saw the vivid colors of sunset. It was twilight, and another night was just beginning. I couldn't help but wonder would happen now. As I watched the colors fade from the sky, my heavy eyes closed once again.

~~~ETS~~~

I woke up a week ago, and so far it's been the longest week of my life. I'm now at home in some yoga pants, and an oversized hoody remembering the visit I got from the police while I was still in the hospital. I told them what they wanted to know, for the most part. I did tell them who attacked me; I figured it would help them catch James, if he was still hanging around. I know what I saw, but my mind was still trying to come to terms with it. I watched James go up in ashes, but you never know. It's not like there is an A-Z guide on vampires that I can check out of the library.

I can't talk to anyone about it. That's the most frustrating part. Everyone would think that I was crazy and plain out of my mind. How do you explain seeing someone with red eyes, drinking blood, and moving super-fast? Hell, It seems crazy even to me. Gabrielle would have listened though, and tried to talk some sense into me. That thought made me smile, before remembering how and why she died.

Not only have I lost her, but I feel like I have lost her parents as well. They came to see me yesterday, to let me know that they are packing up to leave Phoenix; they said there were too many memories here that would remind them of their lost daughter. Gabriella was cremated and her parents had a small memorial service for her while I was in the hospital. They gave me a few of her favorite hoodies, pictures, books, and some other small things. They knew Gabriella and I considered ourselves sisters, and wanted to make sure that I had some of her things to remember her by.

My mom took some vacation time from work to stay at home with me. She was hovering, and watched me like a hawk. I felt like she was just waiting for me to break down. She kept asking me if I was ok, and would offer over and over to get me something. She did not call my dad while I was in the hospital, and I am still not sure why. Her reasoning was that I had endured a painful attack and she wasn't sure I'd want my dad to know.

I wonder if my mom is ashamed of me now. I don't like thinking that, but besides that first day in the hospital, she hasn't touched me since. Her guilt seems to be leading her and she doesn't believe me when I tell her it's not her fault, and that I'm ok.

My dad and I have always been close. I would love his comfort right about now, to feel his arms and call me his "Bells". I was always Bella or Bell to my dad, and that name sounded like music to my ears. Izzy was my mom's nickname for me, and now I cringe when I hear it. I keep hearing the way James said my name, the inflection in his tone, and the sickly sweet sound of his voice. Hearing my mom call me Izzy made me nauseous.

My parents divorced when I was very young, because my mom didn't want to be tied down in Forks, WA. She hated small town life, and craved the type of excitement that can be found in a larger city. We moved around for a few years before making Phoenix home. My dad served on the police force and moved up to Chief of Police quickly. He eventually decided that he needed a change and started working for the National Park Service, and is one of the Regional Directors for the Pacific Northwest.

I visited my dad every summer. Due to his job, and his love for the great outdoors, we have gone to a different national park every year for vacation. This was our time, and even though I loved my life in Phoenix, it was harder each year to say bye when the trip was over. I love my mom and Phil, but missed Gabs too much to ever stay full time. My dad also had a beautiful home just outside of Forks that overlooked the Sol Duc River.

I wanted to call him, but was worried about this reaction. Would he blame me, or think I did something to make James target me. I wonder if I'll still be his little Bells. Will he still love me after he finds out what happened?

I heard the doorbell chime, and waited for my mom to get it. Many of her friends and neighbors were dropping by to bring food and comfort. Almost like I am dead and they're hosting a repast. I had no intentions of getting trapped in those conversations. I heard some commotion out in the hall way and a loud voice asking where I was.

I stood and waited as the footsteps came closer.

"Bells! Sweetheart, where are you?" I heard the voice getting closer. I looked up as the door opened, and my dad stood before me. He just looked at me for a few moments and held his arms open for me.

"Dad!" I said as I flung myself in his arms.


End file.
